This invention relates to security gates for children and pets and more particularly to pressure mounted security gates that may conveniently and easily be mounted and released in a variety of different passageways such as stairways, doors and halls.
Presently there are two common types of adjustable, pressure mounted, security gates that are used in the home for children and pets that have a plurality of panels that are roughly adjusted to fill the passageway in which they are to be used. One type has extendible bumpers on at least one side to firmly engage the side or sides of the passageway to hold the gate in place and the second type that has fixed bumpers on the panels that are caused to firmly engage the sides of the passageway by forcibly extending the panels in opposite directions and locking them in the maximum extended position. The present invention is of the later type.
An object of the present invention is to provide a pressure mounted security gate that with a single motion can establish a gross adjustment for the two panels of the gate and force the gate panels to move an incremental further distance to firmly press the bumpers against the passageway sides and lock the panels in fixed relationship to one another.
Another object of this invention is to provide a memory feature into the gate for quick and easy reinstallation in a passageway.
Another object of this invention is to provide a relatively inexpensive gate that provides the security of more expensive gates.
In one aspect of the present invention the security gate has a plurality of panels that are slidably assembled together so that their combined effective width may be varied to form a barrier for closing passageways of different width. The outside edges of the end panels facing away from one another carry one or more bumpers for engaging the opposed sides of the passageway. An actuating mechanism slidably mounted on one of the panels has a locking device that fixes the mechanism to another of the panels after the panels have been partially actuated to establish a gross adjustment of the gate width. Thereafter, further actuation of the mechanism causes the said one of the panels to move with respect to the other panels so as to establish a fine adjustment of the gate width wherein the bumpers are firmly pressed against the sides of the passageway to hold the gate in place. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a seat is provided for the actuating mechanism so as to maintain the gross adjustment for the gate width so that it may quickly be reinstalled in the same passageway without having to make the gross adjustment.